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The Story of Us, which aired in the US last year, sees Freeman travelling the globe in an attempt to understand the “common forces” that bind humanity together.

Belitz was first approached by National Geographic over Facebook last February, after an article she had written for the Guardian about her marriage to her Pakistani husband, Kamran, caught their attention.

Following the breakdown of her relationship to her adulterous ex-husband, the self-described modern British Asian woman — who grew up in the “Twee English countryside” of Hampshire — married Kamran over the phone in an Islamic nikah ceremony, having spent just half an hour with him on the first trip to Lahore of her adult life.

Hina Belitz and Kamran Ehsan show Morgan Freeman photos from their wedding (Image: National Geographic/Maria Bohe)

The arranged marriage proved a great success and, 16 years later, the couple remain convinced they found their soulmates that day.

Speaking to the Observer in November, Belitz had explained how she hoped her story could help others to reevaluate the way they measure relationships, and to challenge their biases so as to be open minded towards other cultures — and she’s thrilled with the result.

“The reaction has been amazing — it’s absolutely achieved what I thought it would,” she said.

“One of the best responses was when a contact of mine sent me a message saying ‘what a lovely interview, how heartwarming to see that arranged marriages can work’.

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“It’s a tremendous project, and a brilliant thing to do, to travel the world in search of beauty that you can take to other people.

“There was a quote from the Quran I wish I had said at the time, which is ‘we have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes so that may know one another.’

“The more you get familiar with Otherness, the more you grow as a person, which I don’t think people appreciate as much as they should.

“You’re just increasing your understanding and knowledge of the world.

“It’s about going into that space that’s outside your comfort zone and daring to be different. That’s quite a powerful statement.”

The couple watched the show with their two young sons, nine-year-old Haris and 11-year-old Zak, who had both met and played games with Freeman before the crew took the family out for lunch in the town on the day of the interview.

Both boys attend Bishop’s Stortford College, where Hina will appear in February for a Festival of Literature event with Everyday Sexism author Laura Bates.

Hina was in London and Kamran in Lahore when they married (Image: Simon Jenkins)

Hina continued: “My sons loved it. Zak is a bit of a brainbox, and he kept saying things like ‘oh mum you didn’t quite answer that question’.

“I also felt really strongly about Morgan’s warmth and his expressions — the way he beamed when he met Kamran.

“It seemed to me watching it that he was more connected with us — he just had such empathy and seemed to really get it.

“But then he pointed out, ‘yeah but he’s a good actor!’ which was so cheeky.

“But you really can feel his empathy. I didn't realise my face was so affected by what I was saying, because it is so personal, but you can really see what I’m feeling when I’m talking.

“His reactions to my reactions were so subtle, but it was so spot on — there was a real connection between us that I didn’t really recognise at the time.

“At the core he has a real genuine warmth and love inside him that people just want to engage with.”

Hina Belitz's second novel, Addy Mayford’s Last Feast, is due out next year.

The Story of Us With Morgan Freeman airs on Sundays at 9pm on National Geographic.